China's gold output up 1.88 pct in Q1

BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China produced 84.972 tonnes of gold in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 1.571 tonnes or 1.88 percent from the same period last year, industry data showed on Tuesday.

From January to March, gold consumption in the Chinese market jumped 12.03 percent year on year to 291.58 tonnes, data from the China Gold Association showed.

According to the association, the consumption of gold jewelry in China stood at 189.61 tonnes, up 12.29 percent year on year, while that of gold coins and bars soared 20.47 percent to 83.87 tonnes during the period.

In the first quarter, gold consumption for industrial and other uses came in at 18.1 tonnes, down 16.9 percent from last year.